I Wish My Daughters Still Ate Boogs.

The comedian Sinbad Once said "You can rob a bank with a booger!", to represent the fear that we as a society have of the resilient nose goblin. He may very well be correct. I think there are some grown men who would jump off a cliff into a pit of vipers if faced with the threat of boog exposure. I have to ask, where does this fear come from? Is it an inborn trait? Absolutely not! It comes from some unidentified trauma that occurs in nearly everyone's life.

I have never known a child that didn't feast on nasal flakes. As disturbing that is to us as adults it is the truth. Kids don't fear the boog. I don't ever remember eating boogs as a kid but I'm pretty sure I did and I'm pretty sure you did too. I cannot comprehend why. There is a mere one inch journey from the nose to the mouth and as inconspicuous and efficient as that journey is, it is anything but logical.

So in our early years we eat boogers and at some point we stop, some sooner than others. Do we as parents even notice when the switch happens? Let's consider WHY we stop:

• First theory, our parents TOLD us to stop. They told us OVER and OVER again until finally it stuck. "Told" may be accompanied with punishment and humiliation I suppose but generally I think we just repeat ourselves until we are blue in the face. I suspect this is the most uncommon reason we stop.
• Second is peer pressure which is accompanied by public humiliation. This is also called the "Johnny just ate a booger" Theory. Some other kids catches us feasting as we are possibly not even aware of what we are doing. An announcement it is made that is so humiliating we become aware of our actions and promptly stop. "Ladies and Gentlemen please bring your attention to the center stage and behold the amazing Shirley as she swallows a nose cracker". Yea, I can imagine that would do it for me.
• Third and finally, there is possibly something in the puberty thing where we start having interest in the opposite sex. During this stage of life our body chemistry changes and it's possible we no longer need the nutritional values of a booger. In addition, our appearance and our public image becomes one of life's focal points. "I can't let him see me eat a booger, he won't like me." I think this is where "the change" happens for many and we let go of the booger.

So, no matter what the reason is, the fact is we  grow up to fear the booger. Nothing on earth is more fearless that a mother who will not hesitate to remove boogerage from  her child's face. My wife sometimes reminds me of the Crocodile Hunter as she will dive in without hesitation and wrestle out a snot gator. Even the Father will at times roll up his sleeves and battle the boog. It's easier when it's your kids stuff. No one is going to retrieve boogers from some stranger on a subway.

So it's part of growing up. My girls have stopped (I think) and that's kinda sad and scary particularly where theory number three comes into play. Little Carter keeps on Boogin out without hesitation. I'll keep telling him to stop, until he does.

Side note: UGA vs UL- Lafayette Saturday as College Gameday is finally back! Go Dawgs!